duplex perception

An experimental technique used in AUDITORY PHONETICS involving the manipulation of two components of a sound stimulus, one in each ear. In one ear, listeners are presented with a synthesized STOP+ VOWEL SYLLABLE (such as [ga]) from which the second or third FORMANT TRANSITION has been removed; this transition formant is simultaneously presented to the other ear. People typically perceive a complete [ga] as well as the isolated transition, which sounds like a non-speech ‘chirp’. The perception is said to be ‘duplex’ because of the double effect: listeners hear both the integrated percept and the isolated transition percept.